A Different Path
by Demonslayer572
Summary: Ruby was always very quiet. She took in what was happening around her with very few emotions showing on her face. With her mastery of the Crescent Rose, and her unchanging attitude, she was seen as almost unapproachable by most of the other students of Signal. When this cold, calculating girl is allowed into Beacon prematurely, who knows what will happen?
1. The Girl in a Red Hood

**Another path**

**A/N: Hello readers! I'd like to thank all of you for reading. This is my third story, my first for RWBY, and has much more inspiration flowing in than what I have for either of my other ones. I'd like for you to tell me what you think, so please review! ****In this story, Ruby is a bit more... Subdued, to put it one way. The reason shall be revealed later on.**

Ruby stood up from where the Huntress had used her magic to throw her out of the blast radius of the spell the woman that was in Roman Torchwick's escape plane had used, just in time to watch as the plane turned and started to fly away. She switched her scythe to the Sniper mode, hoping that she would be able to hit the plane in a critical spot before it flew out of her range. She was too late, however, and it was out of reach before she could line up a shot. When this occurred, she turned back to the Huntress that had appeared in the midst of her short fight with Roman. A glint of admiration in her eyes, she spoke one simple sentence.

"You're a Huntress."

The Huntress, turning to her, replied just as simply.

"Yes, I am."

Ruby stared at her for a moment, taking in her appearance, and then turned to leave. As she started to walk away, the Huntress spoke again.

"And where do you think you're going?"

Ruby turned and answered the question that was asked in an accusing, if not demanding, and obviously authoritative voice. "I'm returning to that store to speak with the owner, and to apologize that I was unable to stop the man that was attempting to rob his store. Then, I am going home. It is rather late, after all."

The Huntress seemed to be taken aback at the lack of any tone in the girl with a red hood's voice. Her eyes opened minutely, before she resumed the same glare at the young girl. "Well," She began, "I can understand the first part. But as for the second, I am afraid you are unable to do so as of yet. You will be coming with me."

"For what particular reason do you have that I need to come with you?"

"A girl your age should not be fighting known bosses of criminal organizations. You have to come with me for questioning."

The girl nodded. "I can understand your reasons. Alright, I'll come with you. Just let me speak with the owner of 'From Dust 'Till Dawn' first."

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After Ruby had finished speaking with the owner of the dust store Roman had been attempting to rob, she came along with the Huntress who explained along the way that her name was Glynda Goodwitch. The Huntress led her to a small building a short walk away from the store, and lead ruby to a building that was built like a prison. After showing an I.D. to the guards in front of the building, who promptly let them in, Ruby was lead to a small room that was set up with a single light overhead, with a lone table underneath and only one chair. There was a window that was blacked out on one side, allowing it to only be seen through on one side. In all sense, it was an ideal interrogation room. Taking the obvious hint, Ruby sat herself in the lone chair behind the table, the same blank look on her face. Goodwitch started to pace in front of the table, a look of obvious displeasure on her face, and began to speak.

"I hope that you realize that your actions tonight will not be taken lightly, young lady. You put yourself and others in great danger."

"What others?"

"Excuse me?" , she questioned, stopping opposite the table from Ruby, blocking the girl's view of the doorway.

"What others were placed in danger by my actions? From my perspective, the only ones placed in any form of danger were myself and you, simply because you jumped in. other than the two of us, no others that were not already in danger from the situation were placed in any form of danger. The street was abandoned other than the members of Roman's gang and myself, and there was obviously no one else on the roof. Who else was placed in danger by my actions? Because I can name absolutely no one else that was placed in danger."

Goodwitch sputtered for a moment, trying to come up with an adequate response to the perfectly logical response this seemingly naïve girl had come up with on the spot. After a moment, when no argument came to her mind, she simply continued pacing and speaking.

"If it were up to me, you'd be sent home, with a pat on the back… and a slap on the wrist." The kind tone she had started with turned harsher in the second part of her sentence, and she stopped in front of the doorway once more as she slapped down her riding crop when her sentenced was completed. Though the weapon slapped down very close to Ruby's wrist, she showed no reaction to Goodwitch's action. Obviously expecting more of a reaction, Goodwitch seemed a touch upset at the lack of recoil, but said nothing of it. She did continue speaking, however.

"But… there is someone here that would like to meet you."

With that, she walked out of the way of the doorway, showing the silhouette of a man who was walking forward, gradually growing more clear as the light started to illuminate his features more. His hair was a premature gray, by the lack of any marks on his face, and he had a pair of frameless, black circular spectacles hanging off of his nose. His suit, a dark green color with a brighter colored scarf around his neck, was clean and spotless. As he reached the table, he set a plate of cookies onto the table, keeping a tight grip on the mug of coffee in his other hand. As Ruby reached for one of the small treats on the plate, he began speaking.

"Ruby Rose… You have silver eyes."

Ruby couldn't stop herself from rolling her eyes at the obvious statement. She nibbled on the cookie as the man continued speaking.

"So! Where did you learn to do, this?" He said, referencing the screen that Goodwitch had pulled out, on which were images shown of Ruby's fight with the men that had accompanied Roman Torchwick into the small dust store not even two hours prior.

"I was taught by my uncle Qrow at Signal Academy."

The man nodded, seemingly expecting this answer or one similar. "I had suspected Qrow, he was the only man I know of who still lives that was able to use such a weapon so fluidly. I am quite surprised, however, that he was willing to teach you- a young girl- how to use one of the most dangerous weapons ever designed. Tell me, miss Rose, what is an adorable young girl such as yourself doing at a school for warriors?"

Ruby paused for a moment, slightly upset that everyone looked down on her simply because of her size, before she answered. "I want to be a huntress."

"You want to slay monsters?"

"Yes. I have two more years at Signal Academy before I am able to apply to Beacon."

The man, having moved a chair that had been present in the corner of the room, took a seat at the other side of the table, looking intently at Ruby. "Do you know who I am?" He asked, interest in her obvious in his voice.

"Of course. You're professor Ozpin, the headmaster at Beacon."

He nodded slightly. "Hello."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, sir."

"You wish to come to my school?"

"It is one of the only things I want in this world."

Slightly taken aback by the longing in the otherwise emotionless girl's voice, Ozpin blinked before he opened his eyes wide for a moment, before schooling his features once more. "Hm… Well, okay." He reached out his hand, ignoring Goodwitch's small 'hmmph' of disbelief, and spoke one last time. "Welcome to Beacon, Miss Rose."

Ruby's eyes widened greatly, the most emotion she had showed throughout the entire interview, as she stared at the outstretched hand for a moment before she raised her right hand and shook his. "Thank you, sir. I promise you, you won't regret this!"

Neither she nor Miss Goodwitch noticed the slight look of sadness that crossed Ozpin's face.


	2. The Shining Beacon

**A/N: Hello again people! I'll try to stay with the weekly updates; no guarantee about it though. Thank you for reading; I hope you enjoy.**

Another Path Chapter 2

The Shining Beacon

Ruby stared out of the window on the transport ship that was headed to beacon. As the solitary ship lifted off from the small docking station in the middle of Vale, and the view of the city gradually grew larger and larger as the ship rose, Ruby allowed herself to smile slightly underneath the red hood she had up. She looked over her reflection in the glass, while still taking in the sights of the ever-shrinking city. The black outfit she regularly wore, with the black skirt with red trimmings, went along with black leggings and black boots, with red fur on the inside barely rising over the top and red lacing crossing over the front. The silver crosses that attached her hood to the black corset with a red front, black lacing crossing in front of the red section. The dark grey belt with silver bullets on her left hip, a white pouch on her right, and the symbol she had taken as her own in the front, slightly off-set to the right. The silver pendant of a rose that was just slightly larger than the size of the palm of her hand, covered in black lines to separate the individual petals. Her right hand drifted over it, slowly tracing the black lines over the top. The small flames covering the top of the rose were momentarily forgotten as muscle memory took over and she traced the inner workings of the only decoration she wore.

After a moment, she tore her eyes away from the window and looked around the hallway that she was within. There were several people in the hall with her, all of them preoccupied by looking out the window as she had just been doing or looking at the news board showing news of the recent civil rights movement of the Faunus that had been interrupted by the White Fang. There was no one that stood out very greatly; all of the other people on the ship appeared to be regular people who hoped to be hunters or huntresses. She took a look at some of the weapons she saw among the different potential students with a keen eye- she always had had an eye for weapons. She saw one student who was wearing an axe that appeared to have a shotgun barrel out of the handle, and one other student had a small tube-like shape at their side that was obviously an extending staff or something of a similar manner. She turned and looked to the opposite direction, seeing one student with thick gloves and a sword at their waist- the only reason someone would have gloves like that would be if their weapon had an enchantment for an element, most likely fire. There were several others with individual weaponry, some more complex than others. A small smile on her face, the young girl turned back to the window and looked out. She saw the city of Vale start to fade into the distance as the transport ship flew further away.

With her eyes turned in the direction of the fading city she had lived in for so long, she failed to notice what those with their eyes turned forward saw. When one of the other students let out a gasp and exclaimed to everyone in the corridor, "Look at that!" while pointing forward, Ruby naturally turned in the direction he was pointing. Just as Vale had started to blend into the surrounding forests, another memorable sight came into view. A huge cliff stood prominently over a huge lake, with small terraces covering the steep incline, a thin line of yellow sand at the bottom. Forests dotted the top of the cliff, with clearings and open valleys separating each individual section. That wasn't what had every person on the ship's captivated attention, however. Beacon could be seen, a huge building with several large towers spaced throughout, and several waterfalls flowing down the side of the cliffs in front of the school. While still a large distance away and thereby slightly blurred from distance and the mist that rose from the waterfalls, it was easy to see the huge size of the school building. As the school was starting to come into focus, a voice familiar to Ruby began to speak.

"Hello, and welcome to Beacon! My name is Glynda Goodwitch." With this, a projection of said huntress came up on each of the individual sections of glass panels that covered the outside of the ship. "You are among the privileged few who have been selected to attend this prestigious academy."

Ruby blocked out the rest of Goodwitch's words, instead choosing to gaze on the school through the image of the woman. She allowed a smile to spread across her face. Her first and largest dream was about to become real, years ahead of her expectations. She reached into the small pouch on her right hip and pulled out one of the items she had within. She looked at the picture, showing a 5-year-old her, and a smiling women dressed very similarly to how she now dressed, only with white where she had red.

_Is this the path you would have wanted me to walk on, mother?_

The smile she wore became a sad one, and she slowly placed the picture back in its position in the pouch. Goodwitch had finished her speech, and the image of the woman faded away from the glass. Ruby closed her eyes, and took a deep breathe before she opened them again, the smile falling once more as she set her silver gaze once more upon the school building and waited for the ship to reach her new home.

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As the ship landed and Ruby joined the other students that were slowly filing out towards the immense school building, she saw a boy with blond hair go rushing out and towards the nearest trashcan. _Seems like some people aren't able to stand Airship travel all that well, apparently. I wonder why… it's not like the ships of the past that traveled over water. There isn't any rocking motion, so there isn't anything to trick the mind… maybe he's simply afraid of heights?_

As she pondered this, she failed to notice the cart covered in white suitcases until she almost ran into it. When she tried to step around it, as luck would have it, she stepped right into the person who they belonged to. When they collided, Ruby was sent reeling, and tripped over the pile of suitcases as the girl dressed in white fell onto her own backside. Shaking the stars out of her head, Ruby stood up, and looked to see what happened from her fall. She saw several suitcases strewn about, one of which had been opened during her fall, with several small bottles spilling out. She turned to apologize to the girl the bags belonged to, only to have said girl start to screech in her face.

"What in the world do you think you're doing?"

"I'm sorry, I was-"

"You're sorry? Do you have any idea the damage you could have caused?" The girl seemed to be shaking in anger. Her white hair, done in an off-set ponytail, swayed to the sides as she shook her head in frustration.

"Damage? What's in those suitcases that could damage anything or be damaged, and why would you bring it to school?"

"It's Dust! Dust mined and purified from the Schnee Quarry. You know, Fire, Water, Lightning, energy? Dust?"

Ruby was not enjoying the way this girl was speaking. The obvious arrogance that was filling her voice, along with disdain dripping from every word, made for a very annoying way of speaking.

"Of course I know about Dust. There's no one in this world that's human above the age of four that doesn't."

"Well, if you know about it, then why didn't you watch where you were going? What's a little girl like you doing here, anyway? Aren't you a little _young _to be at beacon?"

Ruby didn't appreciate the fact that this girl was stomping on her achievements, or insulting her based on her age alone. She wasn't about to let this albino-looking woman say whatever she wanted. "How was I supposed to know that you brought multiple cases of Dust to a school? What reason could you possibly have to bring a lot of the most powerful energy source in our world to a school? And the reason I'm here, is because Professor Ozpin invited me here. Yes, I am young, but you have no right to judge, little Ms. Princess. Who are you to ask what I'm doing here?"

Another voice spoke up then, calmly interrupting whatever the girl in white was going to say.

"Heiress is closer, actually. Weiss Schnee, heiress of the Schnee Dust company, one of if not the largest producers of energy propellant in the world."

The two girls that were arguing turned to see another female, dressed in a black buttoned vest over a white, sleeveless undershirt and black leggings. There was a detached sleeve covering her left arm, with a silver bracelet keeping it in place around her wrist, and black ribbons wrapped around both of her wrists and hands. Taking in what the girls said, the now-identified Weiss gained a smug look on her face.

"Finally, some recognition!" a snide smile spread across her face as she turned to Ruby.

"… The same company that is well- known with a bad light for it's constant questionable partners and shady deals." Ruby added onto Blake's statement, before Blake continued off of her.

"As well as the controversial work force the company is known to have."

Weiss was stunned at the accusations the two of them made, before her face twisted into a grimace. "How dare-! The nerve of-! UGH!" With that articulate saying, Weiss turned away and began to stomp towards the school, the large walkway leading to the building long-since cleared of other new students who had gone directly into the entrance hall for the Headmaster's first speech. After a moment of looking after her, Ruby turned towards the new arrival, and gave her a small smile.

"Thanks for the help there. What's your name?"

"Blake Belladonna. And yourself?"

"Ruby Rose. It's a pleasure to meet you, Blake." With this, Ruby reached her arm out towards the other girl. After a brief shake, Blake turned away, pulling a book out of her back pocket and reading as she walked off to explore the grounds before the Headmaster's speech began.

Ruby didn't bother following; she knew some people preferred solitude. She herself did, so she couldn't blame the girl in black. Giving a slight shrug, she started to walk the other way, with Blake to her back and Weiss to her right, the airship and the cliff to her left, as she too began to explore her new school grounds before she had to report to the entrance hall for the opening ceremony.

She walked along the small stone path, a small pond on her right and a few trees in a patch of grass to her left. Slowing her steps, she turned towards the trees, and continued to walk at a leisurely pace. When she was next to one of the trees, she laid down, her back to the tree, her eyes facing the pond. She let out a satisfied sigh, enjoying the serenity of the small area with no one else around. After a moment, she pulled a pair of headphones out from a pocket in her hood, and placed them over her head. Taking out the MP3 she had all of her music on, she set the red headphones with her rose symbol over her ears, and clicked play. She relaxed slightly as the music started to play.

_'Red like roses…'_


	3. The First Night

**A/N: Well, thank you everyone for the encouragement and kind words! Now, I've gotten a few questions asked, so I feel like I should answer them here.**

**One person asked for why Ruby is like this in my story. Yes, the explanation for Ruby's change will be present later on. It's a big point coming up; I'll try not to rush it, but it's been so tempting to just get there NOW. I'm trying to pace myself with this, so in short; yes. The reason will be there, but it will probably be a little while longer.**

**Now, for all of you wondering, "Where's Yang?" That is one of the major divergences from the main story I'm doing here. It goes along with the reason why Ruby is different from in the original show. I thought I had said this in an earlier chapter, but it appears that I skipped over it… eheheh… woops? Yang will be brought in later, don't worry, and she will still be the lovable hot head we know so well. **

**Also, I apologize for this taking a week longer than usual; Finals are next week, and I am about ready to blow my brains out. I KNOW NOTHING. I hope to have chapter 4 done for next Saturday, but… I'll put it at another two weeks, just to be safe.**

Another path chapter 3

The first day

Ruby opened her eyes. After a short time relaxing in the secluded park, she stood up, and began to move towards the entrance hall. Retracing her steps back the way she had come from, she arrived back at the courtyard, and turned to the entrance hall. As she got close, she started to look around at the other Hunter-hopefuls that were entering the hall later than the main group. She saw Blake entering a short way in front of her, and she saw Weiss at the front of the gathering. She noticed some other people talking; a blonde boy that she vaguely recognized talking to a girl with red hair off to one side, a group of guys roughhousing with each other to the other, a boy with black hair talking to a girl with light orange hair in one corner. She started walking forward, finding a place in the crowded hall, when a magnified voice started to ring through the hall.

"Ahem… I'll keep this brief."

She, along with everyone else in the hall, turned to the front to see Professor Ozpin standing in front of a microphone on a raised dais, Glynda Goodwitch at his side.

"You have all traveled here today in search of knowledge. To hone your craft and acquire new skills. And when you have finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people who cannot protect themselves. But I look amongst you now, and except for a very select few, see nothing but wasted potential and energy in need of purpose and direction. You all are assuming that the knowledge we provide shall free you of this, but your time at this school will prove to you that knowledge can only do so much, and can only carry you so far. It can open up the door for you, but you must take the steps to get through it. Welcome to Beacon."

With this short speech, he stepped to the side, allowing Goodwitch to step up to the microphone, where she made an announcement for all of the students. "Tonight", she began, "You shall all gather in the ballroom. Tomorrow, your initiation truly begins. Be ready. For the moment, you are allowed to explore the school grounds to familiarize yourself with what shall soon be your home. Be at the ballroom by 9:00. You are dismissed." Her part being said, she walked away, following Professor Ozpin.

Ruby had listened intently throughout the speech, and couldn't help the thoughts from entering her mind as she allowed her feet to walk on their own. _What did he mean, all but a select few? And why did his voice sound so… hollow? It seemed as if he wasn't even there. What could be going on that would make him sound like that?_

Ruby was surprised to find herself, once she exited her own thoughts, back at the same small lakeside she had been at before she went to the speech. A moment's decision later, she sat back down in the same position she was in before, enjoying the peace this spot had. There were a few people that she could see down the path a way, but it was a mostly secluded area. Settling in for the next few hours before she had to head into the ballroom for the night, she decided to pull a book out of a pocket in her hood. As the sun moved across the sky, she lost herself in the words on each page, the story shifting and flowing as the history of this world was explained. She was glad she had stopped by the 'Dust till Dawn' store that day for multiple reasons-not only had it allowed her to be entered into Beacon, she had found this novel there too. While she still had much of the story left, she looked to the sun and judged that it was about time to go to the assigned room for the night.

XXXXXXXXXX

Ruby entered the ballroom, changed into a simple set of black pants with a dark red top. Her Omni-present hood was over her shoulders, hood down, slightly flowing as she moved. She looked around, seeing all of the other students of the Academy standing around and talking to other new initiates. Being two years earlier than anyone in her grade, she didn't know anyone here. She didn't have any friends, no acquaintances, no one to talk to. She hadn't had many at Signal, where most had been intimidated by the girl that wielded a weapon like her Crescent Rose with such ease. She was used to being alone for large periods.

Looking around for a moment, she took in the rest of the ballroom-the chandeliers above, crystals looking like tears dangling below; the sleeping bags evenly spaced on the ground to provide the initiates a place for the night before the worse hopefuls were weeded out and the rooms adequately prepared; the large windows giving a spectacular view of the night sky, unblemished by the electric lights of the city. Moving closer to the window to get a better view of the night sky, she marveled at how full the sky seemed with stars-so many of them were hidden by the lights that illuminated Vale during the night. She took a moment, looking up at the moon, seeing the cracked and broken counter of the Sun. Bringing her eyes back into the ballroom, she looked at the pillars holding the roof up. Then she saw something different.

Blake, the girl wearing black she had met earlier, was leaning up against the wall next to one of the pillars, with a candle next to her on a small table as she read. The simple brown cover of the book gave no indication of what she was reading. Having no other task at the moment, Ruby went over, sitting down on the other side of the small table and opened her own book and began to read. Blake looked over at her, a questioning look with a raised eyebrow asking the silent question of, _'What are you doing?'_

Ruby turned to the other girl for a moment before turning back to her own book. Rather than answering Blake's unasked question, she posed one of her own. "What're you reading?"

Blake faltered for a moment, and then turned back to her own book as she answered. "It's a story about a man with two souls, each fighting for control of his body."

Ruby took this in, and asked another question. "Which one is winning?"

With a small glance over at her companion, Blake answered as she once again continued reading. "Right now, they're even. His body is lost; it can't decide what to do. So he acts without a soul, doing what he must without regard for other. No compassion, no anger, no emotion. He merely exists."

While she had been describing the book, Ruby had slowly shut her own and looked at the girl with a black bow. Taking in the words, she asked the question that was now at the forefront of her mind. "What's its name? It sounds like a story I would enjoy once I finish this one." She said, with a brush of her hand over her novel's cover.

Blake was silent for a moment, seemingly contemplating what to say. When she reached a decision, she stated, "The Journal of Adam." With a fluid and well-practiced motion, she marked the page she was on and shut the Journal, looking over at Ruby. "Since you've been asking me about my book, I think it's fair for me to ask about yours."

Ruby gave a slight nod, no emotion seen on her face. "It's called 'The Guilty Crown.' It tells the story of a boy who is given a blessing and curse, the ability to draw out the hearts of those around him as a weapon. He has to make a choice with this power- does he steal the throne as a tyrant, or does he ascend as the beloved king?"

Blake took in Ruby's explanation, a small gleam in her eye. "Sounds interesting. I would have thought you would have been more into the tales of the hero who saves the princess against impossible odds." As she spoke, a light smirk decorated her face.

Ruby scoffed. "Is that just because of my age? Yes, I'm younger than most here. That doesn't mean I'm some stupid little girl who doesn't know there's not only black and white. Nothing is always good or bad. There's always a gray area, no matter how small, it does exist. Why bother trying to pretend everything is good and bad? Heroes sometimes have to do dark deeds to save the day, and some villains desire to right something that is wrong. The road to hell is paved with good intentions, as the saying goes."

Blake gave the younger girl an appraising eye. She really wasn't what her appearance would make her out to be; Blake had expected an ignorant, too kind for her own good type of girl, not one who acted the way this one did; she simply didn't have the appearance of someone who acted. "You know, you seem a lot different from how I expected you to act."

"Because I'm younger than you, you thought I would be childish?"

"Well… kinda. I don't really know, I just expected… different."

Ruby was quiet for a few moments. She seemed to be contemplating what to say. Her words spoke deeper than what they simply said. "Sometimes, we have to give up our childhood so that others might enjoy theirs." Her eyes seemed distant, as if she was seeing something far away.

Blake dropped the subject.

Turning back to her book, she told the girl with an affinity for red one last thing. "It sounds like a good story. Thank you for telling me about it."

Ruby nodded, and turned back to the novel, continuing to read by the shifting candlelight. After a short while, she yawned, marked the page, stood up, and turned to the main area of the ballroom, where most of the other initiates were asleep or well on the way. She looked over her shoulder at Blake as she started to walk away. "It was nice to meet you, Blake. It's nice to know that I have someone here I can call a… friend?" There was hesitation in her voice at the final word.

Blake looked up at her, a small smile gracing her lips. "Same here, friend." She had heard the hesitation in the younger girl's words. "Goodnight."

"Night." Ruby walked away to find an open sleeping bag. Finding a spot open close to the windows, she laid down, turning to face the moon, cracked in its usual fashion.

She couldn't help but think it seemed to be slightly less shattered than it had been the previous night.


	4. The First Day

**A/N: Alright, and here we are, FINALLY with the fourth chapter. I apologize for the long wait. I was right, Finals kicked my ass, and that definitely killed me for a little bit, and then I found out that my girlfriend, one of the few people I can talk to regularly in real life, was in the hospital for a pretty bad case of pneumonia. That kept me from writing for a bit, as I was too busy pulling my hair out or punching a wall. I really couldn't keep writing until after she got out; I have the mother of all one-track minds and my mind was completely on her until I knew she was fine. I apologize again, but these things will happen from time to time. I hope to have made it up to you with this chapter.**

**One thing that I just feel like addressing here as I have had a few people I know talk to me about it. Currently, there are no pairings set for this story. I have no idea how to write any of the romantic stuff, so... as for the moment, I have no intention to write anything about it in this story. It may evolve into having such at a later date, but no pairing is in mind right now.**

Another path chapter 4

Initiation

The light shone through the window, the bright red sky slowly bringing Ruby to consciousness. She sat with her eyes still closed, enjoying the still peace that still permeated the ballroom without any others moving around. Well- almost no others. She could hear a few people stirring, other early risers doing the same as her, simply enjoying the few moments of peace before they returned to the constant demanding pace of life.

Finally opening her eyes, face turned towards the window, Ruby slowly sat up while she watched as the sun slowly rose. After a moment of watching the sunset, she turned towards the room, observing those that were rising. She saw a familiar head of white hair across the large hall, shaking slightly as Weiss stretched and stood up. She saw a girl with cherry red hair serenely sitting up, looking at the sun as it continued its journey through the skies with vibrant green eyes. Blake was in the back, already reading her book. Right in the middle of the room, a boy with black hair was… '_Is he doing Tai-chi? Well. We all have our own way of waking up I suppose._' while a girl with the brightest orange hair Ruby had ever seen seemed to be bouncing off the walls.

She stood up, heading for the locker room to perform the regular morning rituals and change back into her regular outfit for the day. With the real initiation coming up, she wanted to get ready early.

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After the large clock tower in the center of Beacon tolled out 8:00 o'clock, Goodwitch came forward and gave a short announcement. "Now, as you all are aware, Beacon is the premier school for hunters and huntresses. As such, we are unable to accept all of those that apply to our academy. The worst of the students have already been sorted out. Now, however, we must test another aspect of you to see if you are truly Beacon materiel- whether or not you are able to last in a combat situation. As such, another round of preliminary tests must be run. The test shall be a simple one. Applicants shall be placed within the emerald forest, and will have to find a partner. Partners are not decided- once eye contact is established between two students, they are partners. No give-backs, no trade-mes, it is done and set in stone. It does not matter if the applicants are from separate schools, such as Signal, Sanctum, or even Stream. They are your partner once eye contact is made. All students shall be given a tracking device to allow us to keep track of their progress through the forest. Further details shall be given at the start of the test. The first round of students to be going through the preliminary test shall include…"

As she began listing names, Ruby only paid half attention. She tensed momentarily at hearing her name, relaxing again when she heard Goodwitch continue on listing students. Meaning she was in the first group of initiates to be tested. Along with that, she heard Weiss's name, only one after her own. _'I feel sorry for whatever poor sap has to put up with her as a partner.'_ A moment of thought later, and she realized she had no clue who all would be in the first round. After that, she decided to pay more attention to what came after her and Weiss. In the split-second of thought this took, one name after Weiss had been read, Cardin Winchester. After that, one other 'W' name was read. And then the name that was a major shock to Ruby.

"Yang Xiao-long."

XXXXXXXXXX

Ruby walked at a brisk pace, easily outpacing the other students in the first round of the entrance exams. As she walked, if one listened closely they could hear words flowing from her lips as she lightly pinched the space above her nose. "No... She wasn't supposed to be here… damn it. And she knows I'm here too… I'm going to have to explain everything. I was hoping to wait a few more years… great." She pinched the bridge of her nose harder, almost breaking skin under the pressure she put on it. After a moment, she let up the pressure, a resigned sigh flowing through her lips. "After the test. I'll worry about it after the test. That'll give me time. That'll be enough time. I hope…"

She arrived at the platform at the end of the small pathway, continuing on a short ways further, seeing the various launch pads set up for the test, as well as Professor Ozpin and, to her surprise, Glynda Goodwitch waiting. Walking up to the pair, she gave Goodwitch a questioning glance. "How did you get here before me? I took the most direct route and walked faster than any of the others."

Glynda smirked at Ruby, pulled out her riding crop, and with a small flick, a circle of runes opened beneath her and a short ways to her left. A small flash of purple light later, and Ruby opened her eyes to find Goodwitch had flashed over to the second location of glyphs instantaneously. Eyes widening slightly in surprise, Ruby had only one thing to ask. "Can you teach me how to do that?"

"Do you have an in-depth understanding of dust and the exact components it uses to transfer the energy within to work towards the desire of the user?"

"..."

"Then no."

Ozpin chuckled lightly at the sight of his assistant and youngest student conversing as they waited for the other students in the first round of examination to arrive. With a simple gesture towards the platforms, he said "Please, take your position, Ms. Rose."

With a nod of her head, Ruby moved onto the first platform, and waited for the other students to catch up. When they crested the hill and began making their way towards the three that were already in position, Ruby was relieved to see that Blake, her first friend at this school, was in the group. Hopefully, Ruby could find her- she knew the two of them could get along at least. She scowled at the sight of Weiss, hoping she wouldn't have the misfortune of being partnered with the stuck-up princess. Keeping her eyes on the lookout, however, she didn't see the blinding blonde hair that signified her foster sister.

The group all arrived, filling in all of the spots set into the side of the cliff- bar one spot. Noticing the opening, Goodwitch did a headcount, and came up short one hot-headed ball of energy that went by the name of Yang Xiao-Long. She remembered Yang from the short interview all students went through before they were permitted into Beacon- she was a loud-mouthed, energetic girl, who wouldn't simply be quiet and hide or be shy. "Where is Yang Xiao-Long?" At her call, several students began to look around, not noticing the girl not being there. Soon however, she was answered.

"HERE!"

All of the people assembled at the cliff side turned towards the shout, seeing the blonde sprinting madly towards the gathering of students and two teachers. Stumbling to a stop in front of Professor Ozpin, she stammered out her apologies, huffing and puffing with a light sheen of sweat covering her body. "I'm sorry, I'm a deep sleeper, I didn't wake up until after the announcements were through and my friends woke me up. I didn't know where to go, I've been running around trying to find this place for the last 10 minutes…" This would normally be a straightforward explanation, but the fact that she said it all under three seconds made it a jumbled heap of gobledy gook no one understood.

Glynda looked at Yang, her eye twitching for a moment, before she said calmly "Repeat that one more time for me, slower."

After Yang did so and Goodwitch and Ozpin accepted her apologies, she took her place on the last stand. Ruby let out a relieved sigh, shoulders slumping and eyes closing, at the knowledge that the conversation that was coming was postponed. Her eyes opening, she caught sight of Ozpin giving her a questioning glance before she resumed her former stance, feigning ignorance of the look in his eyes. After a moment, Ozpin began to speak, explaining the rules of the final test of the initiation.

"For years, all of you standing here have trained to become warriors of renown. Now, your skills will be tested within the Emerald Forest."

Goodwitch continued where he left off. "As you all already know from the morning announcements, you are being paired with your partner and teammates today. Your partner is the first student you make eye contact with, and teammates other than said partner shall be assigned based upon several factors, including the compatibility of the groups, and differing strengths and weaknesses."

Ozpin took up from this point. "These partners and teammates shall be with you for the entirety of your time together here in Beacon, and likely for an extended period afterwards. As such, it is in your best interest to be partnered with someone who can cover your faults. Now, as for what the test itself consists of… You are all going to be placed in varying locations throughout the Emerald Forest. Once you land, you are going to seek out your partner. Once you and your partner are together, you must find the Abandoned Temple and the relics within. You and your partner are to take one relic, and return to this location at the top of the cliff. Throughout the forest, you shall come across heavy opposition from various creatures of Grimm. You must fight with all of your skills as though your life was on the line… as it truly is. Otherwise, you WILL die." At this, several students gulped, and the one to Ruby's right even began to slightly shake. Ruby felt nothing from his words however- this was the profession she had chosen. If she was going to fight, pain and harm were to be expected. Death was only one step further. "Once you and your partner have finished, you are free to do as you wish. The other tests shall be taking place for the majority of the day, and the ceremony for those that have completed shall be held tomorrow at noon. Are there any questions?"

At Ozpin's question, the lanky boy to Ruby's right raised his hand, hesitantly saying "Yea, um, sir?"

Continuing as if the boy hadn't said anything, Ozpin carried on. "Good! Now, take your positions."

As the various students on the starting platforms got into ready stances, the tall boy on Ruby's right continued to stand in a hesitant way, hand raised, looking fearfully around. "Uh, sir? I've got um… I've got a quest-"

The boy was interrupted as a loud sound rang out far to Ruby's right, at the end of the line that way. Ruby saw as Weiss was sent flying forward, flailing momentarily, before she caught herself and leveled out. The boy directly to her side, however, was looking even more fearfully towards his own feet, at the platform underneath him that was identical to the one that had sent Weiss flying. Seeing he had finally gotten Ozpin's attention, the boy that Ruby was starting to notice slightly more twitched slightly, before continuing with his question. "Um, so, this… landing strategy. Will you be dropping us off, or…"

Ruby turned to him, a small smirk on her face. "From what just happened to Weiss, do you really think we're just being dropped off?"

A shocked look on his face, the blonde-haired boy began sputtering. "Wa- bu- but then, were parachutes handed out or something and I just missed it?"

Ozpin answered him. "No, you are merely using your own landing strategy." Ozpin took growing amusement in the increasing anxiety shown on the young man's face, not that he would allow it to show on his face, as he kept count of the number of platforms that had launched other students into the forest at Goodwitch's command from the small electronic Scroll she held in her hand. There was now only one more before this student.

"I see, so… what exactly is a landing strategYYYYYyyyyyyyyyyy…" The sound slowly cut off as the blonde boy was sent flying, limbs flailing, off towards the Emerald Forest.

After a short chuckle, Ozpin turned to the last student there. She seemed to have shared in his amusement of the anxious boy, a smile on her face. After a moment, though, a questioning look appeared on her face. "Do you think he was serious about not knowing what to do?"

After a short thought, Ozpin gave a contemplative look. "Well. That could prove to be a problem. Well, it has happened before, unfortunately, so…"

"Eh. What're you gonna do?"

"Not much, in this instance."

A short giggle and chuckle from Ruby and Ozpin respectfully later, Goodwitch hit the button on the scroll that initiated Ruby's platform to send her flying forward, following all of the other students into the Emerald Forest.

A moment after the students flew off, Ozpin raised his ever-present coffee mug, took a sip, and lowered the mug while his eyes followed after the small girl wearing red and black. Goodwitch kept her eyes on him, wondering why his eyes seemed to glaze over for a moment, before her eyes widened in recognition.

"She's the one, isn't she?"

Ozpin's head slightly turned in her direction, the far away look still on his face while his eyes followed the shrinking form of Ruby in the distance. "Yes. She is." A small, sad smile spread across his face as the girl finally disappeared into the tree line. "I still can't believe it has been nine years since Summer died."

Goodwitch, too, had a sad look on her face. "It was much too soon for her. She had so much more left for her… and that girl is proof of that."

Ozpin could only give a small nod, showing he agreed with her, as he turned and began walking away to wait and see what happened as the students began their final entrance test for Beacon.


End file.
